Washing-machine.



No. 679,040. Patented July 23, mm

J. G. SOHN.

WASHING MACHINE. (Application. filed cm 10, 1900 Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

f 0 cl H a e i K No. 679,040. Patented July 23, l90l.

' J. G. SOHN.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Oct. 16, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fiseph/ 6.2507110,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

JOSEPH G. SOHN, OF COMPTON, CALIFORNIA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 679,040, dated July 23, 1901.

Application filed October 16, 1900. Serial No. 33 ,272. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH G. SoHN, a citi- 'zen of the United States, residing at Oompton, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Washing-Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to washing-machines,

and has special reference'to that type of machines in which rubbers are employed, which provide for not only working and rubbing the clothing, but also for transferring the same from one part of the machine to the other.

To this end the invention contemplates a novel construction and arrangement of rubbers having means for positively carrying the clothing from one portion of .the machine to the other, while at the same time providing for thoroughly rubbing and scouring the clothing to insure a proper washing action thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for facilitating the guiding of the clothing into and out of the rubbers and also providing means for so arranging and sup porting the active portions of the rubbers as to prevent injury to the clothing.

With these and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the invention are susceptible to some modification; but the preferred embodiment of the improvements is shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washingmachine embodying the present invention and shown associated with the operating-motor and the heating apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the complete machine. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the present invention it is preferable to house the working parts of the machinewithin a tank or vessel 1, capable of being heated to provide for heating to a boiling temperature the water or other fluid therein. This tank or vessel may be of any desired size or shape, but is usually of a general rectangular form and constructed of metal, although it is only necessary that the bottom 2 of the tank be metallic to permit a flame to be directed thereagainst from a suitable heating apparatus. A convenient type of heating apparatus, which is preferably utilized in connection with the machine to provide for heating up the water or washing fluid, consists of a hydrocarbon-burner 3,supported beneath the tank 1 and connected with the hydrocarbon-supply pipe 4:, which leads from the reservoir 5, supported in an elevated position above and at one end of the machine. I

The tank 1 may be closed at the top by any suitable form of cover 6, which, however, is preferably provided with the hinged end sections 7 and 7 located, respectively, at opposite ends of the tank to provide convenient means respectively for the introduction and removal of clothing, although any other equivalent construction facilitating the haudling of the clothing may be resorted to. The washing and scouring of the clothing, as well as the transferring thereof from the feeding end to the delivery end of the tank, is accomplished through the medium of the duplicate endless upper and lower rubbers R and B, respectively, which are arranged horizontally within the tank in superposed relation. The said endless upper and lower rubbersR and R are designed to have the clothing drawn therebetween and during the travel of the clothing to provide for thoroughly scouring and rubbing the same, and each of the said rubbers R and R essentially comprises a pair of opposite parallel chains 8 and an endless series of horizontal revo-.

luble rubbing-rollers 9. The rubbing-rollers 9 of each rubber constantly maintain a horizontal position and are arranged in spaced parallel relation. Besides being independently rotatable the said rubber-rollers are provided with spindle extremities 10, which are loosely journaled in bearings 11, provided upon the chains 8, carrying the rollers.

The opposite parallel carrying-chains 8of each of the rubbers are arrangedto pass over the oppositely-located pairs of sprocket or chain wheels 12 arranged within opposite end portions of the tank 1, and each pair of which wheels are mounted upon a transverse shaft 18, extending transversely across the interior of the tank and having its extremities mounted in bearings at the sides thereof. It will thus be seen that by reason of the oppositely-located pairs of sprocket-wheels 12 and the carrying-chains 8 of each endless rubber R and R, a positive rotation may be imparted to the two rubbers, so that the contiguous runs thereof will travel in the same direction, as plainly indicated in the drawings, and on account of the loose journaling or mounting of the rubber-rollers 9 upon the chains 8 the said rollers are permitted to freely rotate, and thus provide for the working and scouring of the clothing as the same is drawn between and carried along with the adjacent or adjoining runs of the two rubhers. the clothing are accomplished between the lower horizontal run of the upper rubber R and the upper horizontal run of the lower rubber R, and to provide for maintaining these adjoining runs of the two rubbers in proper relation and also to provide for holding the same at a working pressure upon the clothing there are employed the upper and lower presser-platforms 14 and 15, respectively. Each of the said presser-platforms 1-1 and 15 essentially consists of a plurality of longitudinally-disposed parallel slats 16, firmly connected or united by means of suitable cross-bars 17 joined thereto, said cross-bars, in combination with the slats, providing a complete platform, which is designed to occupy nearly the entire space within the rubbers and between the oppositelylocated pairs of sprocket-wheels therefor. The upper presser-platform 14 is disposed horizontally between the two runs of the upper rubber R and is arranged to be held fiat against the upper sides of the rollers in the lower run of the said upper rubber R, while the lower presser-platform 15 bears the same relation to the lower rubberthat is, the said lower presser-platform 15 is arranged to be held flat against the under side of the rollers 9 in the upper run of the lower rubber E. To provide for yieldingly holding the two platforms under pressure against their respective rubbers, any suitable means may be resorted to, but preferably the pressure-springs 18, arranged to bear at one end against the cross-bars 17 of the platform and supported at their other ends against the supporting-bars 19, fitted to the opposite inner sides of the washing-machine, as may be plainly seen from Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

To secure the successful carrying out of the invention, it is desirable to provide means for imparting a positive movement to both of the endless traveling rollersRand R, and this is preferably effected through the me- The active rubbing and scouring of the clothing at one end of the tank 1, there is arranged within such end a pair of guidingrolls 24, disposed one above the other and havdium of a-driving-motor 20. Any form of motor maybe vutilized to impart .motion to the traveling rubbers of the machine; but

there is illustrated in the drawings a type of motor commonly known as a weightmotor and which has a belt connection 21 with a belt-wheel 22 on one of the extremities of the shaft 13 for the upper rubber B.

This connection provides means for trans- 'as plainly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. These driving connections, however, have simply been shown for illustrative purposes to disclose operative means for imparting a positive motion to the duplicate :endless traveling rubbers R and B.

To facilitate the feeding in or guiding of ing their shaft extremities loosely mounted in opposite sides of the tank. The said superposed guide-rolls 24 are spaced apart and to be washed is drawn by the rollers of the upper rubber R, and inasmuch as the adj oining runs of the two rubbers travel in the same directionthat is, away from the guiderolls 24=-the clothing is necessarily caught between the rollers of both rubbers and carried thereby toward the opposite end of the Z tank. As the clothing is carried between the rollers of the adjoining runs of the two rubbers the yieldinglysupported presser-platforms 14 and 15 will exert a pressure upon the rollers traveling thereagainst, thus causing said rollers to firmly bear upon the clothing and cause the same to be rubbed and scoured, while at the same time buttons or other projecting portions of the clothing will freely pass between the rollers and will spread them apart on account of the yielding support of the presser-platforms, and there- 'by prevent injury to the clothing or to the machine.

At the end of the tank opposite the guiderollers 24 for the feeding in of the clothing is arranged a pair of guiding-rolls 25 for the delivery of the clothing. The said guiding-rolls 25 are preferably disposed in an oblique plane and contiguous to the adjacent end portion of the lower rubber B, so as to positively prevent the clothing from being carried into the bottom of the tank by the said lower rubber. This positioning of the rear guiding-rolls 25 therefore permits these rolls to deflect the clothing upwardly toward the hinged coversection 7 so as to facilitate the removal'of the clothing at this point. I

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein described washing machine will be readily apparent to those familiar with the art without further description, and it will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a washing-machine, the combination with a tank or vessel, of duplicate and coextensive upper and lower endless traveling rubbers, each consisting of an endless series of revoluble rollers, opposite1y-acting yielding presser-platforms bearing against. the inactive sides of the adjoining runs of the rubbers, and means for imparting positive motion to both rubbers.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination with the tank or vessel, of a pair of duplicate upper and lower endless traveling rubbers, and spring-supported presser-platforms arranged to bear respectively upon the lower run of the upper rubber, and under the upper run of the lower rubber, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH G. SOHN.

Witnesses:

J. N. PHILLIPS, ARTHUR STooK. 

